In our series showcasing the sector’s nursery managers, we find out more about Madeleine Clancy, nursery manager at N Family Club’s N Twickenham.

Why did you want to work in early years?

I believe that a nursery experience offers a child independence and confidence. Ensuring the best start for each child is paramount for me, and leading a team to deliver the experience a child deserves and will never forget is something I pride myself on. As well as providing an outstanding environment and early years education for the children, ensuring the parent partnership is exemplary is also a key part of the job. Meeting, greeting and hosting events is something I am passionate about as it allows parents to have an insider’s perspective of their child’s learning environment.

What was your route to becoming a manager?

I started my management career as a deputy manager at a large organisation. I was offered a place on their career progression programme and jumped at the opportunity. The training built my confidence, skillset and knowledge of running a nursery, and since then I’ve completed a degree in business management. I use my degree daily to ensure the nursery is running well and every team member is treated as a unique individual. Team wellbeing is essential in my practice.

What are you most proud of achieving as a manager?

After starting a role in a new company I was positioned at two separate sites. At the second site my priorities were to improve team wellbeing and motivation, and create an excellent parent partnership. Since being at this setting I’ve built a community link and worked to improve parent partnerships. The team’s morale has also increased and everyone is happy in the nursery setting. We ensure the team are praised and supported at all points of the day, providing them with healthy meals, notes of support and advice.

What is the best thing about the setting you manage?

The change in the team’s personal development has been incredible! Seeing them all flourish as individuals, reach all their targets and in turn provide incredible experiences for the children has been the most rewarding part of the process. Their team work is sensational.

What is the best training you have been on?

The management training that I completed in 2018 was the most beneficial to my career. Learning how to manage my teams effectively to produce the best learning environment for the children in my care is something I pride myself in and this training really helped that.

What is the most challenging part of being a nursery manager?

I currently lead a team of 56 including a bank team, full time team, lunch covers and operations team. Ensuring every single team member feels supported and their training needs are met can sometimes be difficult to juggle, but with the support of the rest of the management team this challenge is minimised massively.

 If you could invite three people to dinner, who would they be and why?

I would invite my Nan, Maria Montessori, and my first ever nursery manager. My Nan would be the first person I would invite, due to her drive for me to succeed not only in my career, but in my personal life too. I’ve run marathons, completed a degree and parachuted from a plane, and this was all down to the drive that my Nan gave me. Secondly I’d invite Maria Montessori because of the impact her research has had in the setting and nursery life. In my opinion, the children’s confidence is very important so asking questions I might have on the topic and understanding more about how and why her research was completed would be amazing. Finally I would invite my first ever nursery manager, as she gave me the passion for early years that I still carry with me now.

What three things would you take to a desert island?

If I were to go to a desert island I would take Diet Coke, a fluffy blanket and finally a straw!

What do you do to look after yourself when things get stressful?

I look at the situation from a bigger picture and think what is most important right here, right now. After the stressful situation has occurred, I will remove myself from the setting for a few minutes, to go for a walk or speak to one of my loved ones. This calms me down and allows my brain to switch off and to gain my attention back on the important jobs of the day.

What advice would you give your younger self?

My favourite quote is “Be your own leading lady, because you are the leading lady in your own life” from the film The Holiday. It empowered me to believe in myself and reach all of my goals at work and in my own life.

What is the one thing you would change about the early years sector?

The common thought about early years is that it’s an ‘easy’ job – this is not the case. Ensuring the children’s development, team’s wellbeing and the safety of everyone who attends the nursery is an incredibly difficult task and is part of the job for everyone who works in a setting. I would like to change the stigma that nursery life is easy and give the educators the credit they deserve.